Cellular and organismal decline with aging has been shown to promote chronic disease pathology, however insufficient research has focused on the inverse relationship, i.e., how chronic diseases and associated therapies can accelerate the onset of age-related changes. To address this unmet need, the New York Academy of Sciences, together with the Gerontological Society of America and the American Federation for Aging Research will present a 1.5-day conference titled Disease Drivers of Aging, on April 13-14, 2016, in New York City. This landmark event will convene 275 basic, translational, and clinical researchers from academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, who work in the disparate fields of HIV/AIDS, oncology, diabetes, and aging research in an effort to better understand, prevent, and treat chronic diseases and age-associated decline. Conference Sessions will combine basic, translational, and clinical researchers and will feature a unique format of short, focused talks centered on critical open research questions, along with interactive panel discussions. The four central aims of this conference are to: (i) explore the impact of chronic diseases (e.g., HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and cancer) and their associated therapies on rates of cellular and organismal aging; (ii) elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which chronic diseases and treatments can accelerate age-related health decline; (iii) identify knowledge gaps and future directions of research required for further breakthroughs in prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and age-associated decline; and (iv) showcase and encourage the participation of early career, female, and underrepresented minority investigators via short talks, poster presentations, travel fellowships, career mentoring activities, and discounted registration. The conference goals align well with the mission of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to conduct and support research on the nature of aging, the aging process, and conditions associated with growing older, in order to extend the healthy, active years of life. In addition, the NIA's specific goal of disseminating information about aging and advances in research will be met through the publication of a post-conference, enduring, open- access, Section 508-compliant Meeting Report in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, which will distribute the scientific knowledge and ideas exchanged at the meeting to the global research and medical communities. Only through cross-field collaborative research envisioned as a result of this conference can we fully understand the mechanisms by which chronic diseases and their therapeutic modalities impact the aging process, and identify ways in which to treat chronic diseases while increasing healthspan.